Stacking machine



Feb. 2 1926.

i A. F. WILLIAMS STACKING MACHINE Filed August 28, 1925 2 shuts-sheetluvs/r7012 HRTHUR I FREDERICK WILL/A1445 Feb; 2,1926. 1,571,360

. A. F. WILLIAMS I STACKING MACHINE Filed August 28, 1923' Sheets-Sheet2 "war/Ta 1 mar/4m msnsmn WILLMMS (fi (UM flaw Patented Feb. 2, 1.926.

Uhlt'lhlt SWAT ARTHUR FREDERICK WILLIAMS, ()3 LEYTONSTOTQ'E, ENGLAND.

STACKING- MACHINE.

Application filed August 28, 1923. Serial No. 659,701.

To all whom'z't may concern.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR Fnnnnnrorr ILLIAMS a subject of the King ofEngland, residing at Leytonstone, Essex, England, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Stacking Machines, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to stacking machines for raising and deliveringcrates, bales or other loads, and comprises an eleator cage slidablysupported upon suitable standards so that it can be hoisted by means ofropes or the like, and provided with a tilting load-platform which canbe brought to an inclined position for tipping or delivering the load.

The present invention comprises more particularly an improved stackingmachine in which the load may be delivered to either side as required,the ascent being automatically stopped at the desired height and thedelivery effected at approximately the same moment, preferably by meansof adjustable stops mounted upon a trip-rod which is controlled by themovement of a pneumatic piston or other operating device.

The machine is so arranged that when it has once been set to deliver toany required height, a single operation of the control means issufficient to lift the load, deliver it to the desired point andautomatically shut off the powcr ,'the hoisting cage or table be ingthen ready to return for the next load as soon the control lever isreversed.

The invention also comprises an interlockingmccha'nism whereby thecontrol lever is held in set position during the movement of theelevator cage but is returned automatically to the neutral or stopposition as the cage reaches the end of its travel.

The invention is hereafter described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a suitable form ofconstruction of the improved stacking machine.

Figure 2 is an end view of the same, showing in dotted lines thedelivery of a package to one side.

Figure 3 is a plan of the machine.

Figures 4 and 5 are detail views of the interlocking mechanism on alarger scale.

In the construction illustrated, the truck a is provided with wheels 0carried on suitable axles c Toward one end of the truck ther is mountedthereon a double framerails 7 are mounted on axes f 7,

work 6 b of which each side has the shape of an A-frame with onevertical face, this frame-work being built up for example fromangle-iron and its vertical face 6 forming 69 a guide for the elevatorcage or table (Z which travels thereon by means of pairs of flangedrollers 6 running on opposite sides of the angle bars forming thevertical face 5.

At the upper surface of the cage or table is provided a tray F formed bytwo trans verse rails f connected by parallel spindles g carryingrollers h to support the crates or other goods placed thereon. The twoparallel 70 to the roller spindles g, these axes being located towardsthe outer lateral edges of the cage, and being so arranged that the trayF may be tilted upwardly at either side, piv oting upon one or other ofllllGflXBS i according to the desired direction of delivery, the pivotpin at f or 7, respectively, being removed for the purpose.

A lever handle j is provided upon the cage, being pivoted at 7' andadapted to operate a lifting rod 3' whereby the tray F can be pushedupwards at its centre, this table then tilting to one or other side asdesired.

The points 7' at the ends 9f the connecting rod 7' are preferably of theball or universal type, allowing free movement in all directions.

The cage or travelling table 03 guided by the flanged rollers e issuspended by means of one .or more ropes Z, passing over. guide sheavesmm at the top and back of the framework and downwards to multiplyingpulleys or tackle 7a 70 of which the running block 70 is attached to thehoisting means, consisting in this case of the piston rod 1 of avertical pneumatic cylinder 0, secured upon the truck a between theframes 6 6 while the fixed block 70 is attached to a cross member 6about the middle of the framework 6 b.

A vertical trip-rod 8 is arranged beside the piston rid n, being guidedat its ends in a lug 0 upon the cylinder 0 and in the cross member 6 ofthe framework respectively; this rod 8 is controlled by springs s whichmaintain it normally in its median position and is fitted with a pair ofadjustable collars or stops 8 8 The end of the piston rod n carrying thepulley block 70 is provided with a laterally extending tappet-arm 25having an eye t through which the triprrod 8 passes, this eye belngadapted to engage the collars s s on the trip-rod at opposite ends ofthe reciprocating movement of the piston.

Compressed air is admitted to the cylinder 0 from any suitable source(not shown) through a valve 79, preferably formed as a horizontalplug-cock regulating the inlet and exhaust to opposite ends of thecylinder in its two extreme positions, and being returned to its neutralor off position by suitable means; in the construction shown (seeFigures 4 and 5), the handle 39 of the valve forms a counterweight forthis purpose.

The trip-rod 8 (see Figure 4) is provided at its upper end with a doublecam slide a controlling by suitable means such as a roller 11, a pair ofspring latches 42 which in the median position of the trip rod 8 projectinto the path of the plug-cock handle 79 so as to hold the valve in setposition until the movement of the pneumatic piston rod n brings itstappet-arm t t into engagement with one of the stop collars-s 8 adjustedaccording to the desired length of stroke; this engagement slides, thetrip rod 8 upwards or downwards, as the case may be, thereuponunlatching the plug-cock p, which returns automatically to neutralposition, interrupting the power supply and opening the cylinder 0 toexhaust. Upon operation of this valve for the return stroke, the initialmovement of the piston allows the spring-controlled trip-rod s to resumeits median position, the roller 4) descending the cam u and thespring-latches 41 then look ing the plug-cock in the other positionuntil the opposite movement of ascent or descent is completed.

Normally, compressed air would only be used for raising the table; thedescent takes place by gravity.

The lever handle j for tilting the tray F may be operated by hand ifdesired, but for automatic working it is preferably engaged at aconvenient point by a spring-controlled stop or trip device toadjustable upon a fixed vertical rod 00, so that at the termination ofthe hoisting motion it will produce the lateral delivery of the loadapproximately at the same moment. The exact time of the delivery ortipping movement may be regulated by adjustment of the trip device onthe stationary rod :v, so as to take place before, at or shortly afterthe completion of the hoist, so that when the tilting table reaches thenecessary angle the load will roll off on to the stack or into acontainer such as y (Figure 2) at the desired height. The ad justment ofthe trip device may also be varied in the case of a load such as sacksof material, to give a steeper tilt to the platform.

The downward motion of the table (23 will release the lever j and allowthe tilting tray F to drop back into position.

It will be understood that the improved machine may also be employed forlowering goods from a stack or the like, and that the invention is notlimited to the use of a penumatic cylinder. As will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art, the cylinder 0 may be worked by hydraulic pressure.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. A stackingmachine, comprising a table, means for guiding said table for verticalmovement, a tray mounted upon said table, means connecting said tray tosaid table, said connecting means allowing said tray to tilt towardseither of two opposite sides of said table on an axis adjacent to thatside, a universally jointed lifting rod adapted to exert an upwardthrust beneath the centre of said tray to produce a lateral tiltingmovement, and a lever operating said lifting rod, said lever beingactuated automatically by the ascent of said table.v

2. A stacking machine, comprising a table, means for guiding andhoisting said table, a tray mounted upon said table, pivotal connectionsbetween said tray and said table, said connections allowing said tray totilt toward either of two opposite sides of said table, means forexerting an upward thrust beneath said tray midway between saidconnections, as said table reaches the end of its hoisting movement, adisplaceable trip-rod, adjustable stops upon said trip-rod, said stopsactuated by said hoisting means towards opposite ends of the movement ofsaid table so as to displace said trip-rod, a control device for saidhoisting means, and means for returning said control device to neutralposition, said returning means being rendered operative by thedisplacement of said trip-rod.

3. A stacking machine, comprising a table, means for guiding andhoisting said table, a delivery tray mounted upon said table, pivotalconnections between said tray and said table, said connections alignedwith opposite sides of said table, means for tilting said delivery traytowards one or other side of said table, said tilting means including alever carried by said table, a lifting rod operated by said lever, saidlifting rod adapted to exert an upward thrust beneath said tray at apoint midway between said pivotal connections, a stationary rod mountedparallel to the movement of said table, an adjustable stop upon saidrod, said lever coming into engagement withsaid stop as said tablereaches the end of its movement, and adjustable means for regulating theextent of said movement.

4. A stacking machine, comprising a table, means for guiding andhoisting said table, a delivery tray mounted upon said table onpivotalconnections adjacent to opposite sides thereof, means for tiltingsaid delivery tray towards one or other side of said table, said tiltingmeans exerting an upward thrust centrally beneath said tray as saidtable reaches the end of its movement, a control device determining theoperation and the reversal of said hoisting means, means for holdingsaid control device in set position during movement of said table, andadjustable means for releasing said control device to stop the movementas said table reaches 10 the point at which delivery is to take place.In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

ARTHUR FREDERICK WILLIAMS.

